EXECUTIVE Member of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Jonathan Yearwood, has cut ties with the political party after issues, which he deems critical, were not addressed.
In a formal resignation letter to the party, which was seen by this publication, Yearwood, who performed the functions of Finance Secretary of ANUG, said that he has resigned immediately from the party’s Executive Committee for two specific reasons.

The first, as said by him, is the alleged reluctance by other members of the party to hold elections for a new Executive Committee.
The remaining members of the Executive Committee of ANUG are Chairperson, Timothy Jonas; General Secretary, Ralph Ramkarran, S.C. and Assistant Secretary, Kian Jabour.

Outside of the alleged reluctance to hold fresh elections, Yearwood said the other reason for his resignation is the party’s refusal to ask Akanni Blair to step away from the executive body until authorities complete ongoing investigations into a purported fuel racket at Guyana Oil Company Limited (GuyOil).

Blair, a Director of GuyOil, and Company Secretary, Shawn Persaud, were removed from the company on the order of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, following alleged attempts by officials of GuyOil to improperly engage a fuel supplier and solicit his services.

According to reports, the proprietor of Aaron Realty Inc. (ARI), a fuel dealer, had claimed that he is now left with a large quantity of fuel on hand after alleged commitments from senior GuyOil officials that the company would buy it.

The dealer had claimed that he has evidence of the commitments by officials of the company to purchase his fuel.

Four days after the issue was reported across various sections of the media, alleged recordings and screenshots of conversations among the fuel dealer and officials of GuyOil surfaced.
Blair and Persaud were identified specifically as the officials who, reportedly, not only contacted the proprietor of ARI, but also visited his house and requested his services.

President Ali, when asked, during a recent press conference, about Cabinet’s position on this matter, said: “All those who had inappropriate contact [with the fuel dealer] must be removed.”
The President later identified Blair and Persaud as the two officials whom he has ordered expelled from GuyOil.